Legend of the Tang People - Biography of Jiang Zong and the White Ape (Part 5)

Searching his possessions, treasures were abundantly stored, and delicacies filled the display, arranged on tables. Whatever was treasured in the human world was completely equipped. Several bushels of fine incense, a pair of precious swords, and thirty-odd women, all of peerless beauty, some having been there for up to ten years. He said: "When their beauty fades, they will surely be taken away, and I know not where they will be placed. Moreover, the ones I capture are only myself, with no companions. In the morning, I wash my face, put on a hat, and wear a white unlined robe. I wear silk clothes, knowing neither cold nor heat. My whole body is covered in white fur, several inches long. Where I live, I often read wooden slips, the characters like talismans, completely illegible. When finished, I place them under a stone step; on clear days, I sometimes dance with twin swords, spinning around my body like lightning, the light round like the moon. My diet is irregular; I enjoy eating fruits and nuts, and especially love dogs, chewing and drinking their blood. As soon as the sun passes noon, I vanish instantly. I travel thousands of miles in half a day and must return by evening; this is my routine. Whatever I need is obtained immediately; at night, I frolic with the women in various beds, visiting them all in one night, never having slept. My speech is coherent, and I gain advantage through eloquent words. However, my form is that of a gibbon-like creature. Early this year, when the leaves fell, I suddenly said with sorrow: 'I have been accused by the mountain god and will face a death sentence. I also seek protection from the spirits, hoping to be spared.' A month before this, a stone step gave birth to a stone, burning my slips. I said in dismay: 'I have lived for a thousand years without a child, and now I have one, my death is imminent.' Then I looked at the women, many of whom wept for a long time. I also said: 'This mountain is steep and inaccessible, and no one has ever reached it. Looking up from the heights, I see no woodcutters at all. Below are many tigers, wolves, and strange beasts. If I can reach here now, is it not by divine providence?' Huo took the jade treasures, precious items, and all the women, and returned with them, but some still knew his home. Huo's wife gave birth to a son after a year, who resembled him. Later, Huo was executed by Emperor Wu of Chen. (Huo) was originally good friends with Jiang Zong and loved his son, who was exceptionally intelligent, so he kept and raised him, thus he escaped disaster. When he grew up, he indeed excelled in literature and calligraphy, becoming famous in his time. He published 'Continued Biography of the Jiang Family'.